Experiencing a monsoon here in India is quite different than what I imagined. I wrongly thought of a monsoon as a single dramatic phenomenon that lasted a few hours, like a hurricane, or Chris when he's had too many espressos. But in fact monsoon refers to a whole season of soggy, nasty wetness. It’s not that it is a continuous torrential downpour, although at times it comes down harder than an off-balanced sumo wrestler. It’s that it just never stops. From the beginning of June all the way through August – RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN. While I'm hiding in doorways and anxiously dodging puddles, Indians don't seem to mind being wet one bit. They greet each other by saying, "Are you enjoying the raining today?"
Wet means slippery roads, mud slides and bad visibility, which is why our client forbid any car travel at night. Thank goodness the vast majority of our shooting was indoors.
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian hero and unique in many ways, including his distinctive dress. He never wore shoes and consequently his feet were one big callous. His tireless work, long incarcerations and frequent fasts destroyed his health, including his teeth. Those closest to him would whisper about his bad breath. Which is why he came to be known as The Super Callused, Fragile Mystic, Plagued with Halitosis.
I should be incarcerated in a small area with horrible food for a long time for that. No wait, I already flew the 14hr. trip here and will do it again day after tomorrow. Talk about punishment!